An interesting local story this week got me to thinking about how it relates to us in our business. Let me share the story.
A local dinner theater closed it's doors after many years in the business.
The unknowing cast showed up to perform "Evita" but were greeted by a note attached to locked doors. It was also payday so not only did the entire cast learn they would not be paid but were unemployed. Double ouch!
How did they react? There in the rain, they performed a glorious and brave final act. Without benefit of costumes or props they sang, danced and performed for a meager crowd.
The show went on.
This heartwarming story brought tears to my eyes. It is an example of dedicated people continuing on in the face of adversity. They obviously loved their work and didn't want to disappoint the audience. The troupe living in the moment expressed a joy and dedication to their work.
Their behavior and response was a fine tribute to the performers who came before them, the final show ended with its own kind of power and grace.
Each day we face the possibility of rejection. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose. How we act in either event is a measure of our success.
We can lose, and still maintain the dignity and grace of a professional, then we are winners. If we lose and resort to anger we lose twice.
Our business isn't about winning all the time, it's about moving forward, getting better and enjoying the journey.
I love the line from an old move called, "The Unsinkable Molly Brown." Molly was a poor girl who married and became rich. She lived through rich and poor, survived the Titanic and continued on to become part of Denver's Society. One of her lines in the movie was, "We ain't down yet!"
We ain't down until we stop trying.
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